Casualties
by Agriel
Summary: Lightning's a policewoman who has issues. Fang's a writer who was problems. Or was it the other way around? AU Drugs involved. Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XIII and make no profit from it.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue **

Lightning was about ready to clock out after a hard day's work. The weary woman sighed in relief and was about to check for messages on her phone, until her train of thoughts got interrupted. Her office door opened, waking her up from the boredom of finishing the paperwork.

"Farron, you got a new objective for tomorrow." Amodar, her robustly built higher up, plopped a file on her desk. "It's gonna be a drug bust, so gather up the bodies and get mentally prepared for it. We finally found him, that damn piece a' shit. Move in at morning, the less casualties the better." He pointed a finger. "Got that, officer?" He added, his voice gruff.

Crossing her arms, the policewoman wryly added. "You got it, sir." As Lightning examined the file, a look of curiosity crossed her face. "He's bunking in the rich side of town? Idiot."

Amodar chuckled and grabbed a chair. Crossing his arms, he grinned. "Always the hard-ass, Farron. I heard you got into a scuffle earlier today. Punk gave you any trouble?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle, sir. He did manage to land one on my stomach, but I knocked him out right afterwards. He couldn't even see it coming." Becoming a little impatient, the woman glanced at the clock, showing it was already 11 pm.

"Ah, don't wanna keep you here all night. Good work today." Amodar got up and waved as he walked away. "Get over here 5 am sharp tomorrow, you'll need to teach the men their formations. Get your sleep tonight, officer."

"Yes sir." Lightning mindlessly dragged herself to finalize everything for the night before heading towards her car. She was about to open the door when a voice dripping with an exotic accent filled her ears.

"Oi! You dropped something, lady!"

Lightning wasn't naïve. That line, really? Come on. She was an attractive woman, who was alone in the dark. Preparing herself for a possible confrontation, the pale woman hurriedly turned around, annoyed. It was hard to see the dark figure, but as soon as it stepped under the street light, a tall, dark haired woman emerged, handing Lightning her pink wallet. The stranger was slightly taller than herself, Lightning observed, and a chain of laughter erupted from the brunette, which annoyed Lightning even more. Was she mocking her? It was already a stressful day, and she didn't have to deal with irritating bystanders. She coldly grabbed her wallet and said 'Thank you', to which the stranger quirked a thin eye brow at.

"What a surprise, an ok-looking woman too good to be genuinely grateful." Sarcasm was evident.

The words hit Lightning like a knife to the chest, but she didn't know why. She usually brushes off shit-talk easily. She had to, if she wants to survive her profession. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." That sounded cold. The tall, dark and mysterious stranger flipped up her hood and stuffed her hands into her jacket pocket, then started walking away the same direction she came, leaving Lightning to stare at her feminine wallet, then back to the disappearing back of the black figure.

X X

"Auntie, you're home!"

A blur of pink attacked Lightning's right leg, making the woman walk with what seems like a hundred pounds worth of burden on her. "Evan, get off me now! Where's your mom so she can scold you?" Lightning mock-scolded the little boy, ruffling his spiky, pink hair. Evan eventually unclasped himself off of his aunt and ran straight to the kitchen, where Serah's screams were heard.

"What did I say about bothering Aunt Claire when she just got out of work? She's exhausted, Evan!" Clankings of pans and other kitchen utensils were mashed with the little boy's rowdiness.

"Sorry, mommy! I just wanna play with Aunt Claire…."

Poking her head out of the kitchen, Serah cheerfully greeted Lightning, who was taking off her boots on the couch. "Hey there, sis. Rough night?"

Lightning scowled as she turned on the TV. The couch had sunken her in, and for the first time in the day, she was finally able to relax. "Don't even get me started." She started flipping channels until a comedy showed. "It was hectic and tomorrow's going to get worse. How long is Evan staying with you?"

"Ummm, until next weekend. And I'm planning on making every second count. I hate the idea of giving him back to that deadbeat dad of his." Serah rolled her eyes as she set the table for the three of them. Evan decided to sit next to his aunt, who had her legs crossed and her aura telling him 'Do not fuck with me'. But kids will be kids.

"Lightning!"

"What?"

"Don't make my kid cry, for god's sake!"

"I was only kidding, Serah. Here, have your cookie back."

X X

After dinner and saying her goodnight to Serah and Evan, Lightning headed towards the shower and get rid of the day's muck and grime. Her job was mostly physical, beating up the baddies and the likes, with the side of tedious paperwork to close the case. Stress was getting to her recently. She rubbed her hands against her body to rinse the soap away from her skin, feeling the smoothness. A slight moan of satisfaction escaped her lips when she pinched one of her tender, pink nipples. Her other hand started to move downwards until it touched her wet folds, the shower water dripping from her body. She teased her sensitive nub while inciting mild pain to her nipples, which added to the good feeling down there. Lightning's breath started to hasten when she started fantasizing about a lover. Kissing her, touching her, fucking her. Her fingers slowly penetrated her, thrusting in and out gently at first. Her growing wetness and the shower water lubricated her moving slender digits. Lightning stifled her growing moans when her fingers' rhythm started to go faster, plunging into her and against her walls as if it was another person doing her the favor. She needed this. A stress relief, of some sort. Feeling her climax coming closer, the policewoman grabbed on to the shower handle while her other hand pumped deeper until the pleasure was uncontainable. Her gasps and moans erupted, yet she skillfully muffled herself with her palm. Her fingers' pace slowed down to gently bring Lightning back down from her orgasm. She cleaned herself up afterwards and went to sleep.

X X

"Group 1, go in the back and kick the door if you have to. The rest will follow and provide back up. Group 2, you all come with me. We deal with the front. Group 3, stay outside and guard the perimeter. We shoot to kill. Repeat."

"WE SHOOT TO KILL!"

"Alright, men." Lightning gestured two fingers towards the mansion. "Try not to get yourselves killed, and lunch is on me."

Cocking their rifles, the squads of 3 stealthily surrounded the wealthy lot. It was still dark outside and luckily no dogs were around. Lightning and her group crouched as they approached the front. Looking inside the windows, Lightning signaled her comrades. The door swung violently when Lightning's kick worked effectively, a line of five heavily armed people walking behind her, ready for anything.

Five thugs, sitting in a circle with a table full of knives, guns and sack after sack of cocaine, hurriedly grabbed their firearms.

"Shit! How'd they find us?"

"This is a drug bust! You're all under arrest for possession of illegal narcotics!"

X X

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

Fang scrunched her brows. Sitting on her chair for hours is fun and all, but it'd be much more productive if words actually generated on her computer screen. Writer's block could be such an irritating bitch. At 5 in the morning. Grunting, the brunette got up to fetch herself a glass of wine. Turning her head towards the bedroom, she ignored the piece of furniture calling out her name. Lack of sleep and sex makes Fang a dull girl. She sat back down to face the blank screen in front of her. The burning liquid smoothly went down her throat.

_Calm down, Yun. You need to calm your nerves. _She thought, rubbing her temples repeatedly.

The brunette started to doze off, about to tip off her chair when she caught herself. That was the last straw. She yanked herself up, grabbed her keys and drove.

X X

"Fuck the police!" The five gangsters took cover on flipped furniture and started firing. The whole first floor was a warzone: Lightning hid behind a thick pole while the other five ducked in the staircase across the dealers. The policewoman inwardly cursed. After finding a weak spot on one of the thugs, she timed herself as she pulled the rifle's trigger, hitting the heavily tattooed man on the chest twice. Blood spilt. The bullets caused him to jerk from impact before falling. Four to go.

"Saunders, take cover!" A bullet grazed her comrade's leg, a pained howl escaped his lips. They all wore bulletproof vests, but that doesn't mean they can respawn from the dead.

"Fucking assholes!" Lightning, along with a comrade, shot up a storm, leaving a crooked line of bullet holes on the walls before hitting two other thugs. They jerked like rag dolls every time a bullet passed through them, but it was no time to feel anything. No sorries, no sympathy. Two to go. Saunders bled heavily. They were all Lightning's responsibility. She couldn't let any of them die. Hiding behind the pole and reloading a new magazine, the woman screamed to match with the firing guns. The whole situation was just goddamn deafening. "Adams! Help Saunders now!" Lightning's comrade ripped a piece of his sleeve after ducking for cover, quickly wrapping it around Saunders' gash. Adrenaline was all around the room, the walls on Lightning's side beginning to be blanketed with holes.

"Let's finish this already!" Lightning stepped out of her safe zone to spot the remaining two dashing for the back door. With fear etched in their eyes.

"Fuck you, you pigs! You ain't gettin' all of us!" One pushed down the fridge alongside other things they could use to barricade, giving them more time to escape.

"Oh great." Lightning rolled her eyes. "Taro, you're coming with me. Everybody else, stay here and search the 1st floor for any more of these bastards!"

The two cops dashed out the kitchen and into the backyard. As Lightning stepped out the door, a fist was ready to swing at her. She ducked quickly and jabbed a punch against the attacker's stomach, making him spit and 'oomph'. The woman jabbed a palm upwards against his jaw, stunning him, before punching him viciously against the temple, knocking him to next week with a 'crack'. Taro chased after the remaining thug, who threw his gun after draining its bullets.

"Ma'am, I got this! Go check up on the others, maybe there's more on the second floor!"

X X

Fang parked her car, walking up to a backyard door. She yawned, half her mind wasn't there. Dawn was barely cracking, after all. Yes, that was the excuse. She swung the door open to catch a dead body? on the yard, and that girl from yesterday. Then it hit her. That chick looked deadly before the fallen thug, filled with adrenaline. The two locked eyes before Fang eyed Lightning in her uniform, a gun in her hand. "Freeze!" Mentally cursing herself, the brunette raised her hands in defeat, waiting for the policewoman to walk up to her.

"I would've figured you were a cop." Fang grumbled as hands patted her up and down.

"What do you mean? Spread your legs." The stranger barked.

Fang did as she was told. The woman patted and slid her hands all over her body, but she ignored the pleasurable sensations. "I mean, that hardy, cold attitude you wear so comfortably. Yet that pink wallet kinda suited you." The brunette nervously chuckled but quickly stopped and gulped when Lightning's face inched against hers.

"You have the right to be silent. And I prefer you better that way." Lightning's hands slid against the brunette's thighs, feeling her pockets. There was something about this odd woman. Maybe it was her accent? Or her… outstandingly firm muscles she felt, hidden beneath her clothing. Lightning fished out her cuffs, ready to bind this … stranger when an explosion from the second floor caused the two to duck for cover. Lightning's breasts accidentally pressed up against Fang's, but that shouldn't be Fang's target of concentration at the moment. It was the golden opportunity, and Fang took it. Lightning took it too. Hard. Loud ringing flooded their hearing. The brunette knocked the living wind out of Lightning with a knee to the stomach, hitting the ground with a thump. Damn, could that woman hit. Lightning looked up to see the sexy, attractive.. did she just thought that at the moment? woman chuckling at her while the explosion's clutter fell on them like rain.

"I don't need this kinda shit right now. I'll see ya, pink." Fang made a kissing gesture before walking away, leaving the policewoman to stare at the swagger of her hips.

_Beautiful._ Lightning thought, ignoring the nail-biting pain on her abdomen.

X X

_Channel 8 News, a drug bust earlier this morning left the neighbors petrified. The suspects….._

Lightning turned the TV off and closed her eyes. The day wasn't too bad, no dead comrades to mourn for and they got all the suspects. Except for that woman. What was she doing there? An addict? Another dealer? The case was closed, but it still bothered her. Lose ends with no answers. It was gnawingly frustrating for a perfectionist. Serah and Evan were out exploring the mall at the moment, and Lightning couldn't be happier. Jovial. The house was to herself, or so she thought.

_Ding Dong_.

"Who the hell could that be?" Lightning inwardly groaned, dragging herself out of the couch.

_Ding. Dong._

"Hey, Light."

"Snow…"

The tall, blonde man sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Good evening.. I'm not here to start anything ok? So don't form a fist." He joked.

Lightning leaned against the door, covering the entrance. "I'm sure you won't. What do you want?"

"Give Serah this. Please. I know it's not gonna set things straight between the both of us, but it's a token of friendship I'm trying to reestablish with her again."

The older Farron sister skeptically took the book. A book? Talk about tasteless, Snow. "You need to work on your gift-giving skills, kid. You might as well have given her socks." She said dryly, yawning.

Ignoring the insult, Snow crossed his arms. "It's signed on the back and everything. The author was generous enough to do it, but she hasn't been coming to rehab lately. Anyway, back to the topic.. That's it, Light." The towering man gingerly put his hands on his pockets, giving Lightning an earnest smile. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

Lightning casually flipped the book to its back, almost having a heart attack in the process. Was fate really that ridiculous on her?

"Oerba Yun Fang." Lightning felt her throat choke. "Who is she?" The pinkish haired woman jammed the book against Snow's face, making him step back a little in surprise.

"Sh- she's one of my clients at the clinic, woman. Why do you care anyway? Serah loves her books, and that's the only one she doesn't have in her collection.. from the last time I've looked anyway." Snow's face was of puzzlement. "Did she do something stupid? You didn't arrest her, did you?"

"God, no!" Her voice spiked. Lightning felt a pang of giddiness creep up on her. She has a lead. _Acting like a school girl now, Farron? It's been a while, but you can't be that desperate.._ She thought. "She just bumped into me yesterday, is all." That wasn't a lie. She was just simply not revealing the whole truth. It didn't matter, it was just idiotic Snow, and he was never worth explaining to. "Is that all?"

Snow shrugged, letting his curiosity pass. "Yup. That's it. Oh, and tell her to take care of herself too."

"Sure. Now leave before I kick your ass."

X X

She hasn't eaten in a whole day. Hasn't slept since she ran away from the explosion. Her bronze skin prickled from the cold, the brunette scratched herself from the ever increasing cocaine withdrawal. She hated her predicament, and she brought it upon herself. She knew it too.

"God damn it!" The wide bedroom echoed from her raspiness. She was the only one there. She got up from her fetal position out of the bed, pacing back and forth in her invented anxiety. _I'm gonna be okay. I'll be fine. I'll start seeing Snow again. Yeah. He'll help. _Thoughts crashed into her, like a bike ride downhill without brakes, ready for disaster. She strapped herself tight in the heap of steal, ever increasing its velocity, and she was just waiting for the impending crash. Fang slid inside her form fitted jeans and shirt, driving towards the nearest grocery store.

The tall brunette turned heads as she waltzed down the aisle, but she ignored it instantly. She wasn't vain, but she knew she was good looking, that people stared. Vanille kept insisting on cooking for her, but she just doesn't want visitors lately. Not by how she's been acting. Fang felt a touch against her fingertips. God, it was dumb how their 3rd encounter was like in generic romance movies. Fang's hand froze in place right before the targeted hearty can of soup, right next to creamy, milk-white hands. Her jades locked with icy blues, making the brunette forget about forging coherent thoughts.

"Hi." Fang dumbly said.

"You.." If Fang had only known Lightning sooner, the amusement she would have savored by seeing the woman's mouth gape. _Nobody_ beheld the pink haired ice queen in her newfound deer-in-headlights glory. Flies could've gone in and out.

Fang faced away. "Look, I had nothing to do with the whole drug bust shit you cooked up." She said evasively. She wasn't really in the mood for jail.

"I should hit you back now that I have the chance. I could send you to jail for hitting a police officer" Lightning regained herself. Her words deflated, free of angry threats. "It doesn't even matter now. Case closed, life goes on." She lied. _I should bring her to questioning right now. What the hell am I doing?_ The pang of happiness crept up on Lightning once more, though she ignored it. She was great. Amazing at ignoring. Nervously scratching her arm, the shorter woman attempted to ignite conversation. "I had a feeling I would see you again. So.. you're a novelist?" She was cool, nonchalant. At least she tried to. Great.

"Yeah. I am." Fang chuckled dryly, putting cans of soup on her basket. A smile she didn't know she had crept on her lips, eyeing the slightly shorter woman next to her. "Definitely a super fan, I'm pretty sure." _Casual clothing actually looks normal on her. It's almost.. cute._ Fang thought.

Lightning caught on to the sarcasm. "Oh yes, hopelessly infatuated with your works. Bored housewives cheating on their husbands with sexually deviant women, my absolute cup of tea." She plopped a bag of chips in her basket.

"I wasn't in love with you. Just merely toying with both our emotions, but I guess in the end the strings I've played with were my own." Fang's eyes landed on Lightning's pink lips. Fang smiled. Sweetly.

"E- excuse me?" Lightning stuttered. She never stutters.

"It's a line from one of my works. A woman in a loveless marriage cheats and falls in love with another woman."

"Why would my sister be reading that?" Lightning was so out of the loop.

"Why would someone as cute as you not have a boyfriend?" Or girlfriend? Fang feigned looking around, waiting for the other woman to take her bait.

"Are you hitting on me? I thought I was okay looking." Lightning crossed her arms.

_No boyfriend detected. _"And I'm starving. You were okay looking in the dark. In the light, your femininity radiates. I'll take it back.. Your pink wallet's well suited for someone like you."

"If you're trying to get into my pants, you'll have to do better than that pick up line." Lightning was amused. Oh yes, she was. Having witty banters with somebody was good exercise for her sanity. The two paid for their groceries, heading out towards the exit.

"Honey, if I'm trying to get to your pants, your line of sight wouldn't be upright by now."

Lightning smirked. A challenge, she dares? "Oh? I doubt you have the right package for the job."

"I don't need a certain extra appendage to please a woman." Fang cooed. "Circles."

"What?" Seriously, what?

"The magic motion." Fang bit her lip seductively.

Lightning was about to explode. Of embarrassment. Oh, the awkwardness and intimacy of the conversation. How'd it turn to that direction so quickly? Was she that obvious about her sex life? Or lack thereof that a complete stranger, a rather beautiful one at that, quickly picked up? It wasn't like she was spewing out her pheromones and long ignored libido so obviously.. Right?

"Oh. My. God!"

The two snapped out of their worlds, turning around to where the loud squeal originated.

"Ms. Oerba Yun Fang, in the flesh! It'ssuchanhonortomeetyou, ohmygod!" Serah's high pitched word vomit reminded Fang of school girls. The younger Farron shook the brunette's hand vigorously, barely containing her girlish yelps. "I've read all your books, well except for one. I can't believe you live here of all places! Well, you're probably down to earth and I love your works!"

Fang's face looked like an electrical outlet's. Lightning facepalmed.

"Serah, don't smother someone you don't even know." Lightning snorted.

Evan wrapped and hid behind his mother's leg, eyeing the foreign looking woman cautiously. "She's tall, mama! Who is she?"

Serah smiled a full smile, not letting go of the other's hand.

"Um." Fang's stomach grumbled.

X X

"Sorry for my sister. She gets a little too enthusiastic sometimes. You know.."

"It's fine, don't worry too much about it. She's funny as hell." Fang lit up a satisfied smile. "Lightning, huh? That's an unusual name."

"So is Fang. What is that, a made up wrestler name or something?" She joked.

Fang chuckled. "Thanks for dinner. It was great."

"Thank Serah for it. She's the one that invited you. She couldn't be more ecstatic about meeting you.." Lightning looked straight ahead, their eyes interlocking. "I think she has a celebrity crush on you."

There was something about her jade irises. They stood out, vibrant, yet Fang looked dead in the inside. Or maybe she was just looking too much into her. Police profiling? Lightning gulped from staring for the umpteenth time. Just look at that beauty mark underneath one of her eyes, staring at her ever so intensely.

"Lightning, I'll see you-" The brunette's phone rang, pulling Lightning out of her stupor. Fang groaned before hanging up. She mentioned a Vanille?

"Gods. My friend just called me right now. She said the electricity's out in my area as we speak. The gates and doors aren't working at all. Piece a' shit electrical company.. This is the 3rd time!" Fang fingered a temple.

_God. Etro, or whoever doing all this, this is almost funny. _Lightning spoke up a little too fast. Where was her tact now? "You-can-bunk-in-the-guest-room-for-tonight." She breathed out.

The two stood for a moment, and Fang gave the shorter woman a strong, tight hug. "We're going to be great friends, sunshine, I can tell!" Lightning stiffened from the dominating gesture, but she hugged her back anyway. Lightly. "I don't know anybody else that'll willingly let me in.. Well, aside from Vanille."

_With a body like yours? Ugh, stop it Lightning. Being involuntarily abstinent sucks. _Lightning cleared her throat."Just remember I'm a cop, so I'm not really too worried if anybody under my roof happens to do something… outside the law." Oh, yes, it was a warning.

X X

How did she bring herself to this predicament? She strapped herself in the vehicle, going downhill so fast, and the crash was coming. Surely, it was coming soon. A knock on the door snapped Fang out of it.

"Hey, are you okay? You've been there for a while." That voice. "For thirty minutes, Fang."

Fang cleared her face, the droplets dripping from her chin. Her throat croaked. "I-I'm good, Lightning." The restroom suddenly felt suffocating. Her itch started to surface again. She felt _things_ crawl under her skin. Bugs. Cockroaches? No, insects smaller than that. It was maddening. Torture. She felt like ripping her skin off. Damn this withdrawal. Fang sunk herself to the floor, she felt weak. The tiles were cold, but the sensation calmed her, brought her to her senses if only a little bit.

"Fang, what the hell are you doing?" Lightning squeaked as she swung the door. She picked up the taller woman, as much as her toned muscles let her. A heavy arm swung around Lightning's shoulders, and the cop supported the woman around the waist. She dumped Fang on the guest room's bed, feeling helpless as she saw the proud, confident person from hours ago squirm in agony.

"Shhh, shhh." Lightning purred and cooed worriedly, sweeping the sweat-sticky bangs off of the woman she held.

"I can fucking feel them under my skin." Fang's breath hitched. Her stiff body curled into the fetal position, igniting Lightning to stifle a tear. Fang twisted and jerked, her nails digging and scratching all over her skin before Lightning's vice grip on her wrist stopped her. "I fucking hate this. It's my fault." Her voice was guttural, raspy. Any other time Lightning would've found it erotic, but her eyes quickly watered up from the bleak sight.

Lightning wrapped her skinny arms around the woman beneath her, releasing a heavy breath she didn't know she held. "Shh… Let it pass." Warmth from the contact tickled her flared nostrils. Fang smelled like… "Red wine." She muttered.

The brunette hungrily took Lightning's body in, holding the delicately framed woman against her tightly. Fang's breath was ragged, taking in Lightning's flowery scent. Strong hands shakily formed fists in Lightning's shirt. Silence flooded the room aside from the two's erratic breathing. Lightning felt guilty. How could she be so betrayed by her body? She was increasingly getting aroused from the way Fang was manhandling her. From her sensual breathing, the throaty grunts. She was in pain, for gods' sake.

X X

To be continued….


End file.
